Pomona’s Notting Hill Review

Pomona’s is a newbie to the Notting Hill foodie scene and with my work office just a walk away, I was dying to try it out! Pomona’s is a striking restaurant & bar which offers neighbourhood dining inspired by the ethos of Californian living…sounds perfect!

The restaurant is bright and welcoming with a suitably brightly coloured and energetic entrance, as pictured above. I really did feel like I had stepped out of dreary London and into sunny Cali…a girl can dream…

Executive Chef, Wolfe Conyngham, has created a menu bursting with freshness and big flavours reflecting the Golden State fusion cuisine. Wolfes eclectic menu showcases nutritional and seasonal dishes from wood & charcoal to healthy & light all lovingly prepared in the open kitchen, created with sustainable ingredients, locally sourced with the utmost consideration.

Pomona’s brings a West Coast vibe to London as the bright decor continues inside with its mismatched chairs in beautiful bright pink, yellow, green and blue, with the sun seeping in through the large wide windows. Pomona’s also recently launched their summer terrace which offers all day al-fresco dining from 9am throughout the week.

What I loved about Pomona’s was the friendly and attentive staff who made us feel so welcome, recommended their favourite dishes and drinks and were always on hand to clear plates and take our order.

I also loved the speed of everything. The dishes arrived within perfect time of each other and we were in and out of the restaurant within 1.5-2 hours – which is perfect when I have a long journey back to Kent. Pomona’s just seemed to do everything flawlessly and the food matched that.

We started the evening sampling a few small plates. We shared a plate of Crisp Duck with cucumber, spring onion, plum sauce, and sesame seeds (£6). A refreshing dish which is perfect for the summer months.

This was followed by Halloumi smothered in a delicious burnt salsa. I love halloumi and rarely have it uncooked but I really enjoyed it served this way. I enjoyed it so much that since then I’ve rarely been cooking halloumi now.

The Soft Shell Crab with guacamole (£6) was a dish that really shone for me. I can’t eat too much seafood as I have a slight allergy but I loved it so much and could not resist eating half of this plate. It was absolute perfection.

We sipped on two very summery cocktails. I opted for the aptly named Pomona’s Party Punch (£9), a fruity blend of Somerset Pomona (it is a coincidence that this liqueur shares the same name as the restaurant!) with homemade apple bitters and kumquat.

After a short wait and eager to try more of Wolfe’s tasty dishes we were soon served a colourful plate of Butternut Squash, cavolo nero, cottage cheese and almonds (£12). A wonderful, fresh and so summery dish bursting full of flavour.

This was enjoyed with Welsh Lamb Rump, garden peas, pea shoots, goat curd and mint jus (£15). An absolutely winner for me because it came with goat curd and I am obsessed with goats cheese. The portion size was perfect but being such a goats cheese lover, I could have done with a little bit more!

Next up we were served a plate of squid with roasted vegetables, another dish so full of colour, very light and so beautifully presented.

Next up was a tempting Roast chicken dish, we were getting full but everything was so irresistible. As Executive Chef Wolfe Conyngham brought over each dish personally for us to sample, he told us that we shouldn’t feel as though we had to finish everything. But we couldn’t resist, it was just too good to leave!

I’m struggling to pick a favourite dish because everything was just so perfect, so tasty and just so utterly amazing. I was blown away by everything.

For dessert we shared Lemon posset with lavender shortbread and raspberry powder and Chocolate fondant with almonds and pistachio ice cream.

I adore shortbread so I was totally won over by this dish, the posset was so creamy yet so refreshing and the shortbread had such a unique lavender flavour. The dish was so beautifully presented too – almost too good to eat.

But then I tried the chocolate fondant which was complemented by the pistachio ice cream that I no longer had a favourite dessert dish. Both were so equally wonderful.

I highly recommend a visit to Pomona’s. It adds a touch of sunshine to London even on the dullest of days.

Pomona’s is currently my new favourite on the London restaurant scene!